Six LCA and openLCA Courses This Spring: Here's What We've Got On

21 days ago

Below280 is running its spring training programme across April and May 2026, covering everything from SimaPro migration and openLCA fundamentals to a four-day in-person LCA methodology course in Cramlington. Sessions run from half-day online workshops to multi-day professional training, with all openLCA courses delivered by GreenDelta certified trainers.

We have a full schedule running April through May -- from a three-hour SimaPro migration session to a four-day in-person course for people who want a deeper understanding of LCA methodology. Here's everything in one place.

The first session is on 20 April, a half-day online course for people switching from SimaPro to openLCA. Three hours on a Monday morning, practical and focused, no fluff. If you've been putting off that migration, this is the course to do it properly, rather than muddle through alone.


In May, things get busier. The 6 and 7 May are our Basic openLCA online training sessions - two afternoons for people new to the software who want a proper introduction rather than trying to figure it out from YouTube tutorials. The following week, the 13 and 14 May, is the Intermediate level for people who've been using openLCA for a while but feel like they're only scratching the surface. Both are online and run from 1 pm to 4:30 pm.


The course we'd highlight this spring is the Comprehensive LCA Training Course, 18 to 21 May, in person in Cramlington. Four full days, small group, covering ISO 14040/44 methodology with hands-on openLCA modelling throughout. We keep numbers small deliberately -- there's a real difference between watching someone build an LCA and building one yourself, with someone there to catch your mistakes before they become habits.


Then, on 26 May, we're in Birmingham for a one-day LCA Professional course. This course is for people who work with LCA results without running studies themselves. It's for sustainability managers, procurement teams, and anyone looking to grasp the basics. No software required, no prior experience assumed. Be ready to leave with an understanding of LCA theory, basic openLCA modelling, and application of LCA in both EPDs and CBAM.


The final training session of the month, on 27 and 28 May, our Advanced openLCA online training takes place. This is for practitioners who are already comfortable with the tool and want to go further: the Collaboration Server, scripting, and working cleanly across multiple databases. Two online afternoons, and it tends to draw the most experienced attendees.

All of our public openLCA courses are delivered by GreenDelta certified trainers. GreenDelta developed and maintains openLCA, and as their UK partner we’re as close to the source as it gets, which shows in how the courses are structured and the choice of topics we cover.


If you're not sure which course is right for you, or if you'd rather run a private session for your team, get in touch at info@below280.com. Full details and registration links are on our training page.


Technical Context

Demand for LCA practitioners and openLCA users is growing fast, driven by tightening requirements around EPDs in construction procurement and CBAM enforcement in EU trade. Many sustainability professionals are either new to LCA software or using it without formal training, which creates gaps in data quality and compliance confidence. This programme addresses both ends of that spectrum, from complete beginners through to advanced practitioners working with the Collaboration Server and scripted workflows.

""There's a difference between knowing how to use openLCA and knowing how to use it well. We keep our groups small because the mistakes people make early on tend to become habits, and it's much easier to catch them in the room than to unpick them six months later when someone's built a study on top of them.""

— Dr. Tom Bradley, Founder, Below280

About Below280

Below280 is a UK sustainability consultancy specialising in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), and CBAM compliance for manufacturers. Founded by Dr. Tom Bradley, Below280 is the UK partner for GreenDelta, the developers of openLCA. The team works with UK manufacturers to produce verified carbon data that meets regulatory requirements and supports procurement competitiveness. below280.com

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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

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Low‑carbon construction is shifting from aspiration to obligation as policy, finance, and technology converge to decarbonise the built environment. Market demand and regulation are accelerating sustainable construction, embedding whole life carbon considerations into every stage of sustainable building design. Large‑scale energy storage such as the 300 MW Newarthill battery project illustrates how green infrastructure and energy‑efficient buildings depend on resilient grid systems to support net zero carbon buildings and electrified construction processes.

Advances in low carbon construction materials and green building materials are redefining embodied carbon performance. Developers are now focusing on embodied carbon in materials, supported by rigorous whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment to ensure measurable reductions in the carbon footprint of construction. Innovations once confined to compliance—such as fire‑stopping systems—are now aligned with eco-friendly construction and verified through environmental product declarations (EPDs). Even cross‑sector product labelling inspired by the jewellery industry signals a shift towards transparent sustainable material specification and resource efficiency in construction.

Financial models are evolving around the circular economy in construction, where circular construction strategies and end-of-life reuse in construction are becoming commercial expectations. Investors are backing carbon‑reduction platforms that monetise removal and offsetting, reflecting faith in the financial maturity of low carbon design and carbon neutral construction. Programmes recognised for regenerative and circular economy outcomes confirm that environmental sustainability in construction is no longer experimental.

For developers, sustainable building practices now extend beyond certification frameworks such as BREEAM and BREEAM v7, focusing on integrated systems that address whole life carbon and life cycle cost together. Success depends on data‑driven building lifecycle performance, life cycle thinking in construction, and pragmatic collaboration across supply chains. The era of net zero whole life carbon demands credible alignment between design, materials, and performance, reinforcing that innovation in sustainable design is inseparable from authenticity in delivery.

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